Boot or shoe drier.



Patented Aug. 13, I901.

H. C. MANSFIELD.

BOUT 0R SHOE DRIER.

(Application filed Jan. 81, 1901) (No Model.)

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UNITED STATES -PATEN71( OFFICE-E:

HENRY CLAY MANSFIELD, OF CHICO, CALIFORNIA.

BOOT 0R SHOE DRIER.

sPEcIFicA'rIoN forming part of Letters Patent No. 680,264, dated August 13, 1901.

Application filed January 31,1901. Serial No. 45,503. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY CLAY. MANS- FIELD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chico, in the county of Butte and State of California, have invented a new and useful Boot or Shoe Drier, of which the follow ing is a specification. I

This invention relates to boot and shoe driers, and has for its object to provide improved means for drying the interior of boots and shoes, especially rubber boots and overshoes, which frequently become wet inside and are difficult to dry. It is furthermore designed to provide for effectively directing heat into the interior of the boots and shoes, so as to directly treat the wet portions thereof Without damage thereto, and also to provide for adjusting the device so as to increase and diminish the heat according to the requirements of any particular boot or shoe.

With these and other objects in view the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made Within the scope of the claims Without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is avertical central sectional view of a boot and shoe drier embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the adjustable supporting-bracket therefor. Fig. 3 is a detail top plan view of the boot and shoe sup port.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in all of the figures of the d rawings.

In carrying out the present invention there is provided an open-ended drum or tube 1, formed of metal and slightly tapering toward the top, which is entirely open, the bottom being provided with a pendent outwardlyflared marginal flange or hood 2, which is designed to be supported over a lamp 3 or suitable source of heat, so as to collect the heated air and form a chimney to draw the same upwardly and into the interior of a boot or shoe 4: which has been placed over the drum or tube.

For the support of the drum there is provided a bracket 5, consisting of a flat strip of metal which has its lower end deflected upwardly and outwardly, so as to form an arm 6, which is thrust into the bottom of the drum or tube, and also provided with headed studs or projections 7 upon its upper or inner side, which are designed to be removably received within corresponding keyhole-slots 8 in the flared marginal flange 2, so as to form a detachable connection between the drum and the bracket. The body portion of the bracket is provided with a longitudinal series of keyhole-slots 9 for the reception of suitable headed fastenings 10, projecting from the Wall of a room or other suitable support, whereby the bracket may be vertically adjusted to support the drum at any desired height above the lamp.

In order that the top of the drum may not be closed by the boot or shoe, there is provided a support for the latter in the form of a plate 11 to support the heel portion of the boot and provided with an elongated extension or tongue 12, which is bowed slightly to fit into the toe portion of the boot. The body portion of the support, which is substantially circular in shape, is provided with a plurality of pendent legs 13, which have their lower free terminals offset inwardly into spring-fingers 14, to be inserted within the open top of the drum and forming the intermediate lateral shoulders 15 to rest upon the upper marginal edge of the drum, and thereby support the plate 11 at a suitable distance above the top of the drum in order that the heated air may escape from the drum and into the interior of the boot. It will be understood that this support is detachable from the drum.

Adjacent to the lower end of the drum there is provided a marginal series of pendent outwardly-flared spring-arms 16, which have their terminals bowed outwardly, so as to produce rounded or convex outer sides for engagement with the inner side of the bootleg, adjacent to the top thereof, and thereby spread the same and hold it out ofcontact with the heated body of the drum, which otherwise would burn the boot-leg.

It will be understood that the parts of the device may be assembled in any preferred or convenient order and also supported at any suitable height above the lamp orother source of heat, so as to apply more or less heat to theinterior of the boot or shoe. By means of the spreader-arms 16 the boot-leg is held away from the drum, so that as the heated air escapes into the foot of the boot it may then descend downwardly between the bootleg and the drum and finally escape outwardly at the inverted top edge of the bootleg, thereby insuring a constant circulation of heated air throughout the interior of the boot and securing a quick drying of the latter without exposing the same to the danger of being burned or otherwise damaged by the heat. When the device is not in use, the parts thereof may be detached and packed away in a convenient and compact manner. Moreover, the device is exceedingly simple and is therefore well adapted for domestic use, as it does not require any material degree of skill or care to efiectively dry the boots and'shoes.

What is claimed is l. A boot and shoe drier, comprising an open-ended drum or tube, having a pendent 4 marginaloutwardly-flared bottom flange, proof outwardly and downwardly flared springi arms connected at their upper ends only to the drum and forming boot-leg spreaders.

3. A boot and shoedrier, comprising an open-ended drum or tube, and a boot and shoe support, having pendent spring-legs detachably inserted into the upper open end of the drum, with the support spacedabove the top of thedrum. Y

4. A boot and shoe drier, comprising an open-ended drum or tube, and a boot and shoe support, having a plurality of pendent spring-legs to be inserted into the open top of the drum, and having lateral shoulders to rest upon the top of the drum.

5. A boot and shoe drier, comprising an open-ended drum or tube, and a boot and shoe support, comprising a plate, and a plurality of ipendent spring-legs to be inserted into the open top of the drum, each leg having its free end portion ofiset laterally inward and forming an intermediate transverse shoulder to rest upon the top edge of the drum.

6. In a boot and shoe drier, the combination of an open-ended drum or tube having a bottom marginal outwardly-flared and pendent flange, elastically-yieldable external bootleg spreaders carried by'the exterior of the drum, a boot and shoe support, having pendent supporting-legs for detachable engagement with the top of the drum, and a vertically adjustable supporting bracket con= nected to the flange of the drum.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HENRY CLAY MANSFIELD.

Witnesses:

A. L. NEUBARTH, S. G. FAULKNER. 

